Trade Deadline thoughts

So I'm sitting in a training session about the North Carolina Education Lottery all day. I come home to see the following headline:


'CANES ACQUIRE MARK RECCHI IN DEADLINE DEAL WITH PENS

Bloody hell.

Some days, I really hate my yob--this is one of those days, if only because I missed the breaking of this one because I was sitting in an hotel ballroom learning how to use a spiffy lotto terminal from Andy Delmore (or at least, some dude from Nebraska that looks like him).

I mean, damn.

But anyway. The Hurricanes give up the following:

Niklas Nordgren: Nice guy, worked his ass off, but he was really having a lot of trouble here and only recently seemed to be finding a groove to fit in. I'll miss him, but not overmuch.

Krys Kolanos: The fans in Lowell thought of him as the second coming of Krispy Kreme Brendl, only without the production that Krispy would turn out when trying to get called up from the minors so he could slack off for NHL pay for a while. No great loss.

Second rounder in '07: This is the second '07 pick that the Hurricanes have given up this season. Meh. I find myself not getting overly upset about it....right now, anyway. After this season I'll probably be fit to be tied.

And in return, they get a little less evil on the Jes Golbez Evil Scale, and they get Mark Recchi--which brings me back to Wagergate.

I don't regret the "WTF"ing I did when the whole story first broke, because really, the NHL is not exactly in the position where it can afford to think "any pub is good pub". I mean, it's just not that "big" in terms of the four major sports (well OK, three major sports plus NASCAR), so until the League gets its head out of its collective ass and starts actually doing something to broaden its appeal (note: the Instigator Rule is NOT that "something") it's going to have issues whenever something like Operation Slapshot comes along, no matter how big or small it is.

But anyway:

People bet on other sports, but not the NHL. Fine--I can dig it. Let Tocchet get his ass handed to him for getting involved with the whole money laundering thing, and we'll move on.

Mooooooving right along:

I can't be the only one who fell down laughing at Jeff Friesen getting traded back to the Ducks, the team that he bashed left right and center when he got traded there from the Sharks in 2002 (and then bashed some more on his way to New Jersey). That was just funny, right there. Feel free to join me in the pointing and laughing.

Sandis Ozolinsh to the Rangers? Wow, I didn't see that one coming. I've always liked Sandis, and I was very happy to see him doing well in the Olympic games for Latvia. I think he'll be a good match in New York, especially since the Rangers don't really have any defensemen that I'd consider very offensively-minded (except maybe Fedor Tyutin).

Vancouver's finally got their Cloutier replacement, and it's Buffalo's Miikka Noronen. Wow, let's just parade that Cup down Robson now. Just kidding, Canucks fans. Noronen's not a bad little goalie, but he's not been tested in the playoffs (but then, neither have either of the Hurricanes' goalies). I look forward to seeing how he'll hold up to the pressure in Vancouver.

TO: Kevin Lowe
FROM: The Acid Queen
RE: Sergei Samsonov from Boston for Marty Reasoner, Yan Stastny, and a second-round pick, Dwayne Roloson from Minnesota for a first-round pick and a conditional pick

Kevin,

I was wondering if you have any more of whatever weed they're growing up in Alberta these days. If so, please bag some up for me and I'll collect it from you at the Draft this June.

Love,

AQ

p.s. I used to have such a crush on you--but damn you've let yourself go over the last couple years. What the Hel, man?!

Washington Capitals' malcontent ex-captain Brendan Witt was dealt to Nashville for Kris Beech and a first-rounder. Beech goes back to the team that got him in the first Jagr trade (the one that landed him in the District), and the Preds get the mindless toughness that David Poile drafted back in 1993 when he was the Capitals' GM. You have no idea how many times I typed "Crapitals" and had to edit, people. Seriously.

Wow, Olli Jokinen decided to re-up with Florida after all? Keenan must have pictures or something.

And finally, I don't think that Pierre Lacroix is as crack-addled as some are claiming he is. Theodore's gotta pull his head out of his ass sometime, and he needed to leave Montreal anyway. Do I think he'll help the Avs soon? Pry not. Do I think he'll become Patrick Roy v2.0? Gods I hope not--only one of that choking-in-elimination-games-motherfucker is enough. But Theo was in dire need of a change of scenery, and really Colorado is not a bad location to relocate to--just ask my sister. He'll turn it around in time.

Just my 1/50 of a Loonie.